IND vs WI, 2nd ODI: Gambhir not amused with India's record chase, calls it 'not fair'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "IND vs WI, 2nd ODI: Gambhir not amused with India's record chase, calls it 'not fair'")
Gambhir not amused with India's record chase, calls it 'not fair'
Gautam Gambhir voiced frustration over bowler-unfriendly pitches after India’s record 406-run ODI chase against West Indies. With barely 20 ODIs left before World Cup 2027, he urged rapid team planning.
India's record chase of 406 against the West Indies in the second ODI of the three-match series on Wednesday (Sep 30) has not amused head coach Gautam Gambhir at all. India surpassed the 400+ target with 39 balls and eight wickets to spare. This is also only the second time in the history of ODI cricket that a 400+ total has been chased successfully, with the only other instance being South Africa chasing down 434 against Australia. Gambhir, while acknowledging the batting prowess of both teams, said that the bowlers need to have something to work with on the pitch.
Gambhir not amused with India's record chase
Skipper Shubman Gill, who scored 223 not out, added 255 runs for the opening wicket with Rohit Sharma (101) in 26.2 overs to take the game away from the West Indies. Speaking to the broadcaster after the match, Gambhir said: "Look, if I have to be absolutely honest, I feel I think there has to be a bit of more contest between bat and ball, because I think you talk about cricket - but this is not cricket, this is only batting."
"When you bowl on this kind of a wicket, it's not fair for the bowlers. So we've got to give something to the bowlers so there's at least something which the bowlers can work with," he added.
What next for India?
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After the last ODI against the West Indies on Saturday (Oct 3), India's next 50-over assignment will be in New Zealand. After playing the Kiwis, India will also play against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe at home in ODIs, as per the current schedule. In between, however, there's the IPL and an Australian tour of India for the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the start of next year. With the 2027 ODI World Cup nearly a year away, Gambhir acknowledged that there is less time to settle options.
"There is one year, but in that one year, three months will go into the IPL, three months will go into the India-Australia series," he said. "So after this series, we have barely 20 ODIs, and 20 ODIs aren't really that many ODIs, which includes three against Sri Lanka, three against Zimbabwe. I believe there isn't much time. So whatever we plan, whatever options we prepare, we will have to do it as quickly as possible."
